How to use nominalisation to improve your academic writing

Explore this resource to learn what nominalisation is and how it can be useful in academic writing. You will learn how and when to nominalise a sentence.

What is nominalisation?

Nominalisation is the expression of a verb or an adjective as a noun or noun phrase. A noun phrase is a group of words that function in the same way as a noun (e.g. ‘the group of students’, ‘some people’, ‘the book’).

Compare the pairs of sentences below. All of these sentences are grammatically correct, but the second in each pair uses nominalisation.

The university is evaluating (verb) student services to identify areas for improvement.

The evaluation (noun) of current student services will identify areas for improvement.

The instructions were clear (adjective) and easy to follow.

The clarity (noun) of the instructions made them easy to follow.

As you can see in the examples above, you can nominalise a sentence by

  • first: changing verbs (evaluate) and adjectives (clear) into nouns (e.g. evaluation, clarity)
  • then: changing the rest of the sentence to fit grammatically - you might need to add more words ('the', 'of' etc).

The table below shows examples of word families - verbs and adjectives and their corresponding noun forms:

VerbAdjectiveNoun
evaluateevaluative evaluation
signifysignificant significance
-ableability
clarifyclearclarity
predictpredictablepredictability

Four ways to use nominalisation

1. To connect ideas

The example below shows how nominalisation can help connect sentences. Notice how the writer has used the noun 'predictability' to connect to, and expand on, an idea in the previous sentence.

The study anticipated predictable trends in consumer behaviour.

The predictability of these trends enabled marketers to plan for the next season and beyond.

2. To avoid repetition

Unnecessary repetition can distract or frustrate your reader. Nominalisation can be a way to avoid repetition, allowing for a more concise expression of related ideas. Compare the following excerpts - both are grammatically correct, but the second is more effective.

Australia changed its Prime Minister four times in four years. Because Australia changed its Prime Minister four times in four years, voters have lost confidence.

Australia changed its Prime Minister four times in four years. This rapid change in leadership has made voters lose confidence.

3. To shift the focus

Thinking about what you want to emphasise in your sentence will help you decide whether nominalisation is the best choice.

Look at the examples below - although both grammatically correct and well written, notice how they differ in emphasis:

The climate has changed because of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

The change in climate results from greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. (nominalised)

Nominalisation shifts 'the change' to the subject position at the front of the sentence. This places more emphasis on the phenomenon of change.

The students conducted a thorough analysis of the data.

A thorough analysis of the data was conducted by the students*. (nominalised)

The first sentence places more emphasis on the students and their efforts, while in the second, the analysis of data is more important.

*Choosing between active and passive voice is another way to shift emphasis in your writing - this sentence pair is an example of how nominalisation often results in passive construction.

4. To integrate sources

Nominalisation helps integrate information and synthesise ideas from different sources. As you read the example sentence, notice the three main ideas in bold text:

Citizens left the city (Smith, 2020) and even migrated abroad (Jones, 2021). This population dispersal (Smith, 2020; Jones, 2021) resulted in economic recession.

In the first sentence, the ideas 'left the city' and 'migrated abroad' are attributed to separate sources.

In the second sentence, the noun phrase ‘this population dispersal’ is used to refer back collectively to ideas from multiple sources, and tie them together.

Considerations

Nominalisation can be a useful technique to help you write more clearly, concisely and coherently. However, in certain cases, it may do the opposite.

Here are some examples of situations in which nominalisation is not the best grammatical structure to use:

Overly-complex sentences

Look at the following two examples. Both are grammatically correct. However, you will notice that the first is harder to read.

Dickens' critique of the rigid social hierarchy of Victorian England through the protagonist Pip’s journey emphasises the importance of character over social standing.

Dickens critiques the rigid social hierarchy of Victorian England through the protagonist Pip's journey. In doing so, he emphasises the importance of character over social standing.

These examples show how in some cases, using a noun phrase can make your sentence longer and more difficult for the reader to follow. In such a case, using two simpler sentences can result in clearer more readable writing.

Meaning change

Some verbs and adjectives do not mean exactly the same thing when they are nominalised.

The sentences below are both grammatically correct. However, there is a subtle difference in meaning.

She worked hard to achieve her goals.

Her achievement of her goals was the result of hard work.

The use of the verb 'achieve' makes the first sentence more about a dynamic process of reaching the person's goals.

The use of the noun ‘achievement’ makes the second sentence seem more about a static, completed concept. The idea of ongoing effort and the active process of reaching those goals is emphasised less.

Long sentences

Nominalisation may not always be the best choice, as it can result in longer sentences.

A key feature of good academic writing is conciseness. This helps to convey your ideas clearly, (and helps you stay within a specific word limit).

When you convert verbs or adjectives into noun phrases, your sentences often require additional words like articles (a, the), prepositions (in, of) and auxiliary verbs (is, was) to make sense grammatically.

Look at the following pairs of sentences. In each case, notice how the first in each pair (the nominalised version) is longer.

The implementation of the new student policy was completed by the faculty.
The faculty implemented the new student policy.
The reduction in costs was achieved through efficient management. 
Efficient management reduced costs.

Final tip

Consider this technique when you are next looking for the best way to express an idea. Use your judgement to decide if it is the best way to express your idea precisely and clearly.